A LEAarE OF FREE XATIOXS 



535 



essential materials. I hold that during 

 this period the needs of the Allies must 

 have preference, since the restoration of 

 Belgium, France, and Serl)ia has heen 

 made necivsavv in large measure he- 

 eanse of ihe I'utliless and unlawrul acts 

 of the Central i'owers. 



Following the reconst lau-tion pei'iod, 

 when the wm-ld has assumed its normal 

 condition. I he Central Powers should 

 be placed npoii precisely the same eco- 

 nomic basis as are other nations. Each 

 nation, with regard to tariff and sinular 

 policies, will retain its own autonomy; 

 bnt the League of Nations must see that 

 un nation within the lieaguc which has 

 equal treatment with regard to raw ma- 

 terials, shall pursue unfair practices in 

 international trade. In short, unfair 

 practices in international trade, illus- 

 trated by dumping, nnist be outlawed, 

 precisely as are unfair practices in na- 

 tional trade. In this respect Germany 

 has been an offender in the past ; and 

 only when she reforms completely, shall 

 she have the same treatment as other 

 nations with regard to raw materials. 



In making the above statement, I 

 wish it clearly understood that if I were 

 in a position of power, I should be im- 

 placable in imposing iipon Germany, to 

 the utmost limit she is able to bear 

 them, the full penalties for all actions 

 she has taken contrary to international 

 law. When peace has been concluded, 

 the sanctity of international law must 

 be reestablished. The small nations 

 which have been outraged contrary to 

 international law, so far as possible 

 must be reimbursed for all the Avrongs 

 they have suffered. This position is not 

 taken with the idea of revenge, but from 

 the point of view of justice and the 

 necessity of convincing every German 

 that all violations of international law 

 will carry their inexorable penalties. 



There is not space and it is not ap- 

 propriate for me to discuss the further 

 terms of peace. They undoubtedly will 

 be severe. Having been imposed, how- 

 ever, and the penalty having been ex- 



acted, the |»ast should be eliminated 

 from rurtlier consideration and a course 

 of justice pursued. Only so can there 

 1)1' |)ermanent peace in the world. It 

 cannot be denied that the Germans are 

 a great people, and that, if permanently 

 kept out of a League of Nations, Ger- 

 many will 1)0 the center of another 

 gi'oup of nations; and we shall have the 

 ohl balance of power between the 

 League of Free Nations and another 

 Tjcague of Nations led by Germany. 

 There can be no permanent peace which 

 does not include finally all the great 

 nations of the world in the League of 

 Free Nations. 



In accordance with the ideas of Gen- 

 eral Smuts recently expressed at a din- 

 ner in p]ngiand, I hope that the world 

 of the future may be a free world, an 

 organized world (that is, with a League 

 of Nations), and a friendly world. 



In order that the League of Free Na- 

 tions shall have permanence and its in- 

 fluence grow, it is necessary that it have 

 something to do. In the matter of 

 justiciable cases this is provided for. 

 The nonjusticiable cases would be spo- 

 radic. They would doubtless be han- 

 dled as they arose by appropriate 

 agents, appointed for the purpose. The 

 terms of peace, however, are likely to 

 require a number of international obli- 

 gations. It is clear that the Darda- 

 nelles must be made open to the peoples 

 of the world ; they must be internation- 

 alized. It is generally believed that the 

 German African colonies should not be 

 returned to that country. With the ex- 

 ception of southwestern Africa, the ad- 

 ministration of these colonies in the 

 interest of their peoples might well be- 

 come an international obligation. New 

 states have been created through the 

 disintegration of Russia and will be 

 created by the disintegration of Austria. 

 It will be necessary that these states 

 have a big brother to assist them when 

 needful until they get on their feet, 

 precisely as the United States served as 

 a bis: brother for Cuba until she was 



